


Trials by Starlight

by kingkonglomerate



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Angst, Anxiety, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Panic Attacks, Pre-Calamity Ganon, Romantic Friendship, Unresolved Emotional Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-13 01:38:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,602
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21236012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kingkonglomerate/pseuds/kingkonglomerate
Summary: For as long as he could remember he had only ever had himself to rely on; throughout his life he’d had no one, and so he had learned to need no one. Now, enlisted to save the world from imminent disaster, he was suddenly expected to work with others.And that presented challenges he never imagined having to face...(A Revali-centred story focusing on unresolved insecurities and a complicated relationship with a certain young hero)





	1. Chapter 1

He tried to piece together the events that had led them to this point.

He remembered their first meeting on the platform, how he had put his pride on the line in performing his revolutionary technique before the fool’s very eyes - at a time when it had yet to be fully refined, no less. It was a calculated risk - a display that was meant to demonstrate his superiority as a warrior, a champion and, frankly, in general. His execution, as fortune would have it, was flawless; the witness, a neophyte knight and would-be  _ “hero,” _ should have been awestruck at the feat.

Much to his perplexity and annoyance, he was not.

His first assumption had been that the poor lout simply lacked the mental faculties to properly appreciate an accomplishment of such grand subtlety, and that his infuriatingly persistent  _ silence _ towards him was the byproduct of a woefully placid, inactive mind. These perceptions, he realized now, were influenced by and large not by the young knight’s outward demeanour, but by his own need to elevate himself - figuratively speaking - above him.

He sighed.

He had been wrong, of course, but it would take him weeks of being in the young knight’s presence for him to finally see past his pride and accept this. Throughout those days, no matter what he had done...no matter how many snide comments or thinly-veiled insults he had thrown at him in his efforts to provoke _ some  _ kind of reaction, the insufferably stoic youth never once acknowledged him - not because he was too stupid to see his talent, but because he simply didn’t care.

He had  _ hated _ him for that.

And so he had eventually stopped trying, contenting himself with bitterness and envy as he watched him from the sidelines, a dark hope fostering in his heart that he might one day witness some utter failure befall him. Perhaps then he would be given his rightful place...

Perhaps then he would finally acknowledge him…

That day never came, of course. The Hero was, after all, just that; having witnessed his skill in battle first-hand, even he couldn’t deny it.

Yet, as he had watched him, something else slowly became apparent.

At all times, Link carried himself as the Hero of Legend. If any fears or doubts clouded his heart, he betrayed none of them in his stance. Whether in battle or on the road, he was the very image of courage, bearing all things with unyielding dignity and poise.

Or so it seemed.

At first he had thought it was merely coincidence - sitting around an evening fire with the others, their wandering gazes bumping into each other by chance in the glow, only to quickly dart away. He knew in his heart that his own gaze had been intentional, loathe though he was to admit it. Eventually, however, he came to suspect that these brief exchanges were not nonreciprocal; just as he had been watching the Hero, the Hero, perplexingly, seemed to have been watching him in turn.

And what he had seen in these brief exchanges defied his bitterest thoughts.

Like all other aspects of his outward appearance, Link’s gaze exuded strength and resolve at first glance; his piercing blue eyes seemed to cut through the air around him like the legendary sword itself. But he had seen this look in another set of eyes before, and he knew too well where the cracks showed; beneath the veneer of heroism, the same thoughts he had so thoroughly suppressed in himself were reflected back at him in that penetrating stare...

But that was not the worst of it. Concealing one’s weaknesses was something he understood well enough, and he almost respected the young knight for how well he did so. No, what had perturbed him most in these silent exchanges was something he found truly and utterly unrelatable…

Sometimes, on those quiet evenings when no other need was pressing, Link would look at him with eyes full of sorrow and longing.

_ Why? _

What was he looking for in  _ him? _ He, who had shown him nothing but contempt from the start? Had goaded him, mocked him,  _ hated _ him like an enemy?

But there was no hatred in Link’s eyes, and he had hated him the more for it.

Finally there came a night, when the others were asleep and he was on first watch, that he had found him, awake and alone in the darkness, and he could stomach it no longer. Seeing him standing there - watching him turn as he approached, seeing the quiet suffering in his starlit eyes - broke the seal on his tongue at last, and his words came in a torrent.

“Well, what have we here?” he sneered, his cadence carrying none of its usual smoothness. “The lone Hero gazing forlornly at the stars, perhaps seeking guidance from some long-dead ancestor?”

He began slowly encircling him like a skulking vulture. As always, Link offered no response.

But he wasn’t about to let him off that easy.

“What’s the matter,  _ Hero? _ ” the word issuing in a venomous spit. “Are you finally starting to bend under the strain? Is the weight of the world too much for those meagre shoulders to bear?”

Part of him could hardly believe the words coming out of his own mouth, but another part of him was too well experienced in stifling those thoughts to give pause. 

“Oh certainly, you can act the part when you need to,” he continued, still stalking in circles about him. “It’s easy enough to  _ appear _ strong, with enough pomp and myth to hide behind. But your feigned stoicism doesn’t fool me. We Rito have keen eyes, you see - much more so than humans or zoras or gorons - and  _ mine _ see the truth.”

He finally stopped in front of him, glaring fiercely into his loathsome blue eyes.

“Your  _ fear _ . Your  _ doubt _ . You may have the others eating out of the palm of your hand with this aloof silent routine, but don’t think you have  _ me  _ fooled for an  _ instant! _ ”

His chest was heaving now as adrenaline howled through his veins like a gale.

Still, Link said nothing.

“I know what you are, _ ‘Link the Hero .’ _ ” It was the first time he had ever addressed him by name, and he uttered it like a curse. “Behind your fabricated dignity and that darkness-sealing sword, you are nothing more than a  _ weak, _ ” he punctuated the word with a jab of his feathered finger into his chest, “pathetic  _ coward. _ ”

He continued to glower cruelly into the young knight’s eyes, their faces mere inches apart.

Still, Link said nothing.

“Well?!” he demanded, his voice cracking into a screech. “Do you deny it?! If not, say nothing! Let your pathetic silence be assent to the veracity of my words!”

Nothing.

His feathered fist collided with the Hero’s left cheekbone, leaving a small bruise. While strong, a Rito’s body was light, and the hollow bones and thick feathers that allowed him flight did not lend themselves to generating impact in a blow.

He had barely winced.

“SAY SOMETHING!” he screamed, seizing him by the shoulders with a grip that made his fingers hurt.

But Link only looked at him, meeting his vicious, desperate glare with eyes full of an indescribable weariness - eyes that reflected the same despicable weaknesses that stalked the shadows of his own heart.

He couldn’t bear the sight of them any longer.

Releasing his grip, he turned away abruptly, slamming his eyes shut against the treacherous tears that were threatening to break loose from them.

“Damn you,” he breathed, his cracking voice betraying him. “Damn you to hell, you...”

But the words didn’t come, and his fury fell with the tears now trailing down the feathers of his cheeks, lingering on their fibres like drops of dew in the starlight.

His only thought now was to spread his wings and put as much distance between himself and that awful gaze as possible. He began summoning the last of his strength to take flight.

“...You’re right.”

His heart stopped.

The voice, utterly soft, had cut through the cool night air like an arrow, and he found himself turning again to face him.

It was like seeing him for the first time... his shoulders hunched, his shimmering eyes glazed and downcast, looking as though he was succumbing to some invisible weight around his neck.

“I…am weak.”

A small breeze rustled the tall grass about them.

Those words...words he had only ever heard in his petty fantasies...should have marked his greatest victory. They should have made his proud heart soar to unassailable heights.

Hearing them now, from that broken, tired voice, made him want to tear the wretched thing out of his chest.

He watched the starlight disappear in Link’s eyes as they closed.

“...I’m sorry.”

The silence of the night pressed upon them, disturbed only by the occasional rustle of the grass or the distant moan of a lonely wolf.

It was some time before he found his own voice again.

“...Sorry?” he breathed, the spite gone from his tone. “What the hell for...?”

The starlight ignited in Link’s blue eyes again as they opened to look at him. Through the glimmering tears that were now pooling in them, he saw, more clearly than ever before, that desperate, aching longing.

Every nerve in his body was screaming at him to flee that gaze, but his limbs wouldn’t move. Held by the awful power of those eyes, all he could do was stare back into them as a strange, hideous rage surged from the cracks of his heart.

“... _ What?! _ ” his voice came in a rising shriek as this newfound fury seized him. “ _ What the hell do you want from me?! _ ”

Link’s gaze fell away.

Before he knew it, his fist was rounding for another blow.

“ _ SAY SOMETHI- _ “

He found his wing, along with his breath, suddenly caught in the young knight’s grip, the shock of it causing him to falter. Regaining his composure, he tried to free himself, but Link’s hand held him firm. He had never experienced the Hero’s strength firsthand.

He started to panic.

“Let- let go of me you-!”

His other fist swung and was caught like the first.

He kicked at his shins with his sharp talons, but he didn’t flinch.

In mad desperation he pecked at his face, but his beak collided with a forehead as hard as a tree trunk, causing him to reel.

No matter what he did, Link’s grip never faltered. Anger and fear whirled in him like a hurricane, but it was as nothing to the stubborn knight.

His face fell as he stopped struggling.

“Why…?” he panted, too exhausted from the ordeal to stem the renewed tide of tears dripping down his aching beak. “What...do you want from me?”

All at once he felt the grasp on his arms loosen and fall away, to his disbelief. Against his better judgement, he cautiously lifted his gaze once more.

Despite their struggle, Link’s expression had not changed. The only sign of his desperate attack on the poor knight was a fresh wound on his forehead, from which blood trickled down to mingle with the streaks of dried tears.

For the first time that night, he felt shame.

“Li...Link...” he stammered, his entire body trembling. “I’m...I didn’t mean to...are y-”

His words caught in his throat as he felt something gently grasp his right wing, slowly pulling it upward. This hold was joined by another as, dumbfounded, he watched Link clasp his feathered hand in both of his own gloved ones, holding it in front of his chest and regarding it quietly.

He felt the battered Hero’s calloused thumbs begin to gently stroke its feathers.

His mind went blank.

“Wh-what are you…”

He saw Link close his eyes and heard him draw in a deep breath.

“I…” he began, licking his lips and swallowing as though this syllable alone had been an effort. “I saw…”

He watched as the young man he had just assaulted struggled to speak, and he hated himself more than he ever had in his miserable life. He felt sick.

He fought back his nausea as he waited patiently for him to continue.

Link took another slow breath.

“I...saw you,” he managed at last, still caressing his feathers, the softness of his voice sending painful spasms through his chest. “You...were alone. Always…even around everyone else...”

A lump in his throat compounded the waves of nausea washing over him. He tried to focus on the calming sensation of those gentle strokes as he held on.

“And…” he wet his lips again. “I...I wanted...to tell you…”

He saw fresh tears welling in his puffy eyes, soaking the dried blood that had trailed down from his forehead.

“Tell you...that I...was afraid, too…” he continued, the words coming through heavy gulps as he seemed to fight through his tears. “That...you weren’t alone…”

His eyes suddenly snapped shut.

“B...But I...w-was…”

“Scared.”

His voice was hardly above a whisper as he finished the young man’s thought.

Link’s eyes opened.

“Too scared to admit it...even to yourself...”

Another silence fell on them, punctuated by Link’s choked sobs as he struggled fruitlessly to contain himself. He felt some of his tears fall onto the hand he still held, cradled to his chest as though it were some precious possession. He had long since given up trying to hold back his own.

He sighed.

“Here...”

Lifting his free hand to the one held in the Hero’s, he gently pried himself free of his grip. Though he didn’t resist, Link looked up at him with a quiet desperation in his eyes that clearly said he did not want to let go.

But he was already wrapping his long wings around his small form, pulling his blood and tear-stained face into the softness of his plumage as he hooked his beak over his left shoulder. Holding him like this, he gently brought them both down into a sitting position on the grass, pulling as much of him as he could fit into his lap. The young knight didn’t resist him at any turn, and was now burying his face in his navy chest as his short arms wrapped around his torso.

They stayed like this until the stars overhead disappeared as the darkness slowly receded, saying nothing.

As dawn approached, he quietly marvelled at how the little knight in his arms had managed to fall asleep in such an awkward position…

——

Needless to say, things were not quite the same between them after that night. Now, sitting together beneath a tree in the afternoon sun, listening idly to a nearby conversation between their companions, he reflected on the events that had brought them here, and struggled to decide what they meant.

But as he felt the Hero’s blond head droop onto his shoulder and heard his gentle snoring begin, he was content to leave that matter for another day.


	2. Chapter 2

_ He found himself above an expanse of dark clouds. They churned beneath him like a troubled sea, wailing with high winds and growling with thunder. Above him the sky was black as pitch, save for a full moon that loomed over the cloudline and which was climbing with unnatural speed. _

_ A strange urgency to get to ground filled him, but he saw no way through the writhing storm below. Lightning flashed in the bowels of the clouds, and in the light he saw evil shapes moving, their glowing eyes searching restlessly for prey. The pale moon continued to climb ever higher. _

_ Panic seized him. _

_ Suddenly a sound like an eagle’s cry pierced the sky, and from below an immense shape appeared that drove away the clouds and hunting shadows. His heart rejoiced as he saw the great creature emerge before him, soaring on wings of roaring blades and scattering the darkness about it with beams of divine light. _

_ The cry of Vah Medoh filled the great firmament that was his throne, and all evil fled before the blast of his mighty wings. _

_ But behind the Divine Beast the moon continued to climb, and as the two bodies met in the sky, all went suddenly dark. _

_ He waited... _

_ All at once the moon reappeared, its face no longer pale. From behind the dark shape of Vah Medoh it now shone a grisly blood-red, filling the heavens with an infernal glow that set the dark clouds below ablaze. The silhouette of the Divine Beast, so proud in victory, was now paralyzed before it, held in the grip of its terrible light. _

_ He watched in horror as tendrils of dark, hellish flame surrounded the great machine, coiling about it like serpents. In one violent motion they plunged their burning fangs into Medoh, causing the whole structure to writhe and scream. The sound of its agonized cry filled his whole being with a deafening pain, as though some awful power were trying to rip his soul from his body. _

_ Suddenly all was silent, and the pain ceased. He looked up and saw the shadow of the beast hovering motionless and quiet in the air before the bloody moon. Slowly it began to stir again, and light returned to its vacant eyes. Only it was not the divine light that had chased away the storm and the monsters mere moments ago...  _

_ As Vah Medoh returned to life, the fire of the blood moon ignited in his eyes. _

_ He tried to fly away, but his wings would not move. He tried to cry out for help, but no sound would break the suffocating silence. All he could do was watch as the demonic glow of Medoh’s eyes grew brighter and brighter, their dreadful light gathering into a fiery beam that shone at him in a blinding flash… _

_ He was falling. Through the clouds and past the searching eyes he plummeted, charred and broken, until at last the earth came into view. _

_ The last thing he saw as he hurtled to his death was a dark, burning landscape, ash-covered and littered with bones. _

——

Darkness filled his vision as he awoke, panting and covered in sweat. As his eyes adjusted to his dim surroundings and he remembered where he actually was, he let out a long, shuddering sigh, more out of lingering terror than relief.

He sat there for some time, trying to steady his breath as the scene he had just witnessed played itself over again in his thoughts. By the time his heart had settled, the prospect of returning to sleep was quite beyond him. Lifting off his covers, he sat up on his knees and crawled to the front of his tent, slowly lifting a flap to peer into the night.

He felt a measure of relief to see that the surrounding landscape was still lush and unscarred, and that the stars shone through a clear sky overhead. The sounds of chirping crickets and a rumbling snore met him as he emerged, the latter indicating that tonight’s first watch - appearing now as a peacefully snoozing stone - had managed to doze off on duty  _ again. _

On this occasion, however, he was grateful for his companion’s incompetence; he was in no mood for an awkward conversation concerning his wakefulness in the dead of night, much less with someone so...boisterous.

He glanced around the camp as he stepped fully out of his tent to ensure that he was indeed alone. Thankfully, it seemed he was; the only sign of movement in the immediate vicinity was that of the rising and falling of the slumbering watchman’s round belly, and his snores drowned out any sound he could make. Any nighttime intruder would have an easy time of catching them all unawares. 

Of course, this also meant he could slip away unnoticed for a while…

He’d take that risk -  _ he  _ wasn’t the one responsible for their safety tonight, after all.

His conscience satisfied, he stole away from the encampment to seek out a solitary place. This he found on a lonely stone near the edge of a great precipice overlooking the surrounding area. Finding a reasonably comfortable position, he sat and gazed absently at the night sky, resolved to wait for the morning.

His vigil was soon interrupted as something stirred in the foliage behind him. He turned sharply towards the disturbance and scanned the darkness with his keen eyes, silently cursing himself for neglecting to bring his bow.

He watched as a rabbit bounded out of a bush, eyeing him nervously before disappearing into another.

“Damned rodents,” he murmured venomously.

He turned back towards the sprawling terrain and resumed his quiet watch...

Only to be interrupted once again by a small cough.

He spun around in alarm to find another intruder, a young man dressed in woolen nightwear, standing near the bush that the rabbit had darted out from only seconds ago.

_ Of course... _

“A little late to be hunting hares, is it not?” he asked cooly, meeting Link’s concerned look with a tired glare.

The young knight hesitated.

“I’m...sorry,” he muttered sheepishly, his blue gaze flitting. Did...did you want to be...alone?”

He stared at the Hero as he fidgeted nervously, wondering at how a man so fierce and grim in adversity could appear so meek and pathetic at the prospect of disturbing someone.

Sighing and rolling his eyes affectedly, he turned away from him, motioning to an empty space on his stone. He heard the hapless youth shuffle to his side before taking his seat next to him, squirming as he tried to find a comfortable position.

Perhaps he should have tried to get more sleep after all…

“You know,” he began after a brief silence, “you might not be so prone to dozing off during the day if you kept some semblance of a normal sleep pattern. It hardly seems becoming of a legendary hero to have so many afternoon naps.”

He heard his companion chuckle quietly at the comment, and he smiled softly in spite of himself. In the weeks since their...incident, he had come to discover more subtleties of Link’s character, one of them being that he actually  _ did _ have a sense of humour; he couldn’t help feeling a certain gratification in eliciting a reluctant smile or a stifled snort from the stoic fool.

Presently, however, he heard him sigh.

“I...couldn’t sleep,” he mumbled, his tone again hesitant as he idly picked at a loose thread on the sleeve of his nightshirt.

It was painfully obvious that there was something on the young knight’s mind, and he briefly considered doing away with pretense and addressing the matter directly. But the weight on his own thoughts wasn’t something he was eager to confront just at the moment, and so he opted to continue exercising his considerable wit.

“I can hardly blame you,” he crooned, gesturing casually at the night sky. “Given the reliability of tonight’s sentry, I’d certainly have trouble sleeping as well. I’m frankly astounded his snoring hasn’t summoned Ganon’s hordes already.”

The comment hit its mark as he saw Link cover his mouth in a vain effort to hide his amusement, snorting rather ungracefully into his palm. If he had realized sooner how easy it was to break the young knight’s seemingly unshakable composure, he might have tried this method from the beginning.

It wasn’t long before his smile faded, however, and his demeanour was once again somber. Whatever was occupying his companion’s thoughts would clearly not be dissuaded so easily - but he had exhausted his impeccable charm for the moment, and was unable to dispel the heavy silence that fell on them.

He tried not to betray his growing agitation as he adjusted his legs, drumming his fingers on his thigh.

At length he heard Link sigh again.

“I...heard you,” he began slowly, still fidgeting with the loose thread. “You were...dreaming, weren’t you?”

He felt his heart grow cold as another silence enveloped them. 

Something else he had come to realize about his companion was that he was infuriatingly perceptive about things he would prefer went unnoticed - a trait he appreciated far less than his susceptibility to wry remarks.

He sighed.

“So you’re a soothsayer now, hm?” he replied, hoping his tone sounded more dry than bitter.

He risked a glance at the young man, half-expecting to meet that unnerving, penetrating stare that he swore at times  _ could _ probe his thoughts. But Link’s blue eyes only gazed absently at the rolling landscape before them, the starlight glinting in them as it always did on nights like this…

He saw him draw a slow breath.

“I...dreamed, too,” he continued quietly, still not meeting is gaze.

Another chill crept through his heart. He thought to end the discussion there, but the pitiful look on his companion's face held him.

“I...take it it wasn’t particularly pleasant?” he replied hesitantly.

Link closed his eyes and exhaled slowly, shaking his head.

He had been travelling with this young man for some time now. In that time he had seen him throw himself into countless dangers with nigh suicidal tenacity - had watched him face down overwhelming numbers and foes several times his size as though he was born for it. In all that time, he had never seen him look more anxious than he did now...and he suspected he knew why.

He silently prayed he was wrong.

“...What did you see?”

He saw him shudder, and the image filled him with pity and dread. Whatever visions had done this to  _ him… _

His blood felt like ice.

“I...saw…”

Link’s words came in a dry whisper as his entire body tensed, his hands gripping tightly at the fabric of his pants. It seemed the Hero was struggling to keep steady, but even in the dim starlight he perceived the minute spasms of movement travelling through his small frame.

He swallowed.

“Clouds...” he continued. “Dark clouds...a storm…”

He saw them below him, churning and flashing with lightning...

“And…the moon…”

Rising above him...red as blood…

“There...were shadows…”

Stalking in the darkness…

“They had...eyes…”

Searching, hunting…

“They...found us…”

Vah Medoh’s burning gaze was on him...

“And  _ you _ ... _ all of you _ …”

Fire, ashes, bones...

_ “ _ ... _ Died.” _

A ragged gasp escaped him as he found himself on the ground, sprawled on all fours and shuddering violently. The jarring sensation of being in his own body again overwhelmed him, and he began to retch. Through the haze of nausea and cold sweat he became vaguely aware of a presence at his side, its small hands supporting his back and chest as he heaved.

Instinct seized him as he violently shoved the intrusive body away.

_ “I’m FINE!”  _ he heard himself shriek as he struggled to stand. But his wavering legs wouldn’t support him, and he saw the hard ground approaching again.

And again, he felt hands on his back and chest as something caught him.

Perhaps the shock of it caused his senses to return, as he made no attempt to shove the offender away again. Blinking against the spots in his eyes, he slowly lifted his gaze.

Sure enough, Link’s glimmering eyes met his, and they were burning with a desperate concern.

He groaned inwardly as his gaze fell once more.

He felt himself being gently lifted to his feet as the young hero helped him back onto their perch, still bracing him after they had settled. He tolerated this until his breathing steadied, at which point he gently but firmly signalled his companion to release him.

Another long silence followed, the feeling of Link’s earnest gaze never leaving him.

He scoffed.

“Look at us,” he sighed bitterly. “Sitting up in the dead of night, cowering over nightmares like some timid hatchlings…”

But as the reality of those words set in, his bitterness slowly gave way to an indignant fury. Forgetting his nausea and vertigo, he sprang to his feet.

“It’s absurd!” he exclaimed, waving his wings dramatically as he began pacing on the precipice. “I,  _ we _ , are  _ champions!  _ Soldiers enlisted by the Goddess herself to combat this calamity and save this land from certain ruination!”

He puffed out his navy chest as he walked, his proud beak held high as he stared defiantly at the dark sky.

“And yet we have the  _ gall  _ to doubt ourselves - and over a dream, no less!” he continued, waving a dismissive hand. “Are we, Hyrule’s greatest warriors, truly allowing ourselves to be intimidated by some dubious omen? We, whom fate has chosen to destroy the very evil we now wince at? The very notion is beyond contemptible!”

His fierce gaze rounded on the youth who still sat dumbly on the stone, meeting his widened blue eyes.

“Understand this, Hero,” he said, drawing each syllable like a bowstring, “I  _ am _ the champion of the Rito,  _ master _ of these skies,” he gestured at the stars above them, “ _ and  _ the finest archer you’ve ever had the privilege of laying eyes on. And by these truths I swear to you, regardless of whatever your little  _ night-terrors  _ might imply otherwise, that my soul will not leave this world until I’ve seen Ganon sent skulking back into whatever hole he dared to crawl out of!”

He ended his impassioned declaration with a flourish of his wings, causing the air about him to whirl into a column of wind that carried him upward several feet, framing his proud form against a backdrop of stars.

Below him, Link continued to stare wordlessly.

He descended slowly on his outstretched wings, landing softly on the precipice before his astonished companion.

“Well?” he hummed, relishing the well-earned recognition. “How about it, Hero? Have I assuaged your little fears? No need to thank me, of course, but if you feel so inclined I wouldn’t...”

His smooth voice trailed off as he glanced back at him.

Link’s starlit eyes were on him, and he wore a quiet smile. There was a certain affection in his look, but not after the manner of an avid admirer or a giddy child, as he was accustomed to; indeed, he saw no awe or wonder in his gaze at all, as he had at first assumed. 

Rather, as the Hero regarded him silently, the warmth in his eyes was mingled with a kind of...sadness.

And again, as was so often the case in the presence of this confounding youth, he found himself at a loss for words.

He watched as Link bowed his head slightly, the small smile still on his lips.

“You’re right…” he said quietly. “We...will find a way…”

His gaze lifted to him again.

“...Thank you.”

He stared at the Hero wordlessly as speech continued to elude him.

He knew there had been no real conviction in Link’s assent - that the quiet melancholy in his demeanour undermined the zeal with which he had just asserted his own confidence. He knew he should have been perplexed at this, and perhaps even offended. 

But, try as he might, he couldn’t reconcile these truths with the sincerity he had heard in his voice as he had thanked him...nor the warm sensation in his chest that it had elicited.

His gaze faltered as he finally spoke.

“You’re...welcome,” he replied clumsily.

_ Smooth… _

A moment of awkward silence passed before he braved another glance at him.

As he expected, the Hero’s eyes were still on him. To his surprise, however, it appeared that the strange wistfulness that had coloured them moments ago had abated, leaving only their gentle warmth. Likewise, his quiet smile had broadened into a wide grin, pushing small dimples into his thin cheeks.

He gawked in disbelief as the Hero suddenly beamed at him, his white teeth shining against the dark backdrop of the night as his eyes squinted gleefully. He looked...quite ridiculous.

He felt his beak curl into a bemused smirk.

What a strange fellow this hero was…

“Well,” he hummed at length, staring idly in the direction of their encampment, “I suppose we should ensure that our allies haven’t been swarmed by some raiding party under Daruk’s watchful eye, hm?”

Without thinking, he offered Link a feathered hand, realizing his action only after the Hero’s surprised expression met him.

He froze.

As he anxiously considered whether or not he should withdraw the gesture, however, he saw the Hero’s smile return as he took his wing, using it to pull himself onto his feet.

Link’s warm gaze met him once more as the young knight released his hand and began marching back towards camp, and he saw the starlight of his eyes disappear as his head turned. 

He stared blankly after him until his small form had almost faded into the darkness before he began to slowly follow…

Daruk’s snores reached him before the camp came into view, and he felt equal measures of relief and vexation at the sound. Sure enough, as he came to the top of the small plateau, he saw that his tent was mercifully undisturbed.

The darkness of the sky had begun to lighten into a deep indigo, and the stars were slowly being obscured as the night waned. It seemed he had an hour or so before the sun would reach them.

He let out a quiet yawn as he knelt before his tent, having resolved to catch a few winks before then.

As he crawled onto his mat and drew its covers over himself, the scene continued to play in his thoughts…

_ “...Thank you.” _

He allowed himself a small smile as he closed his eyes.


End file.
